2008 Mini Cooper

I PURCHASED A NEW 2008 MINI COOPER FROM AUTOHAUS WEST/MINI OF ST LOUIS. THE MINI COOPER WAS DESIGNED, MANUFACTURED, ASSEMBLED, DISTRIBUTED AND SOLD BY BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, BMW (U.S.) HOLDING CORP., AND BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE AKTIENGELLSCHAFT. I EXPERIENCED A PROGRESSIVE FAILURE OF THE TIMING CHAIN, TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER AND RELATED TENSIONER RAIL, GUIDE RAIL AND SUPPORT RAIL. THE TIMING CHAIN HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN REPRESENTED TO HAVE A USEFUL LIFE EQUAL TO THE LIFE OF THE CAR. THE TIMING CHAIN IS LOCATED WITHIN THE ENGINE, CONSISTS OF A METAL CHAIN, AND IS NOT SUBJECT TO ADJUSTMENT OR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. I EXPERIENCED A PROGRESSIVE FAILURE OF THE TIMING CHAIN AS FOLLOWS: (A) DEATH RATTLE OR DIESEL NOISE FROM ENGINE UPON START UP & AT LOW SPEEDS, (B) ROUGH IDLING AFTER HIGHWAY DRIVING, (C) POWER LOSS & ENGINE STALLS ON HIGHWAY EXIT RAMPS, (D) POWER LOSS & ENGINE STALLS ON HIGHWAY, & (E) CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE. THE MINI COOPER WAS SERVICED BY AUTOHAUS WEST ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS WITH REPAIRS//REPLACEMENT OF SPARK PLUGS, BATTERY, IGNITER COILS, THERMOSTAT COVER AND OTHER ITEMS TOTALING OVER $3,000. AUTOHAUS WEST FAILED TO IDENTIFY THE TIMING CHANGE AS A PROBLEM. AUTOHAUS WEST, BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC, BMW (U.S.) HOLDING CORP., AND BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE AKTIENGELLSCHAFT HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER DEFECT SINCE 2007 AND HAVE FAILED TO WARN CONSUMERS, ISSUE A RECALL OR PROVIDE EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERAGE.THE LOSS OF POWER & ENGINE STALLS ARE SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARDS & WILL EVENTUALLY LEAD TO ACCIDENTS, INJURIES & EVEN DEATH. TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN M110207 WAS ISSUED IN JANUARY, 2008. HOWEVER, IT IS NOT WIDELY KNOWN TO CONSUMERS AND FAILS TO GIVE CONSUMERS ADEQUATE WARNING. BMW SETTLED CLASS ACTION RE N14 ENGINE USED IN MINI COOPER S. HOWEVER, IT HAS IGNORED SAME PROBLEM WITH N12 ENGINE USED IN MINI COOPER. SAME ISSUES.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STARTED THE VEHICLE AND THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED CONTINUOUSLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO CONFIRMED THAT THE AIR BAG SENSOR WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE NOTIFIED AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO PROVIDE AN EXPECTED DATE FOR THE PART TO BECOME AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 52,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

IN THE SPRING 2014 I PURCHASED A 2008 MINI COOPER 2D HATCH WITH AROUND 98,0000 MILES FOR $14,000 WITH WARRANTY IN IVRINGTON, NJ FROM SPRINGFIELD AUTO GROUP AUTO SALES. IN JANUARY 2015 I HAD A TUNE UP DONE AND THE MECHANIC REPORTED TO ME AFTER DOING A ENGINE DIAGNOSTIC TEST THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH MY IMMEDIATELY REPORTED THE PROBLEM TO MY WARRANTY COMPANY THAT WAS PROVIDED THROUGH MY THE CAR LOAN COMPANY CREDIT ACCEPTANCE. THE WARRANTY COMPANY REFUSED TO PAY FOR ENGINE TO BE DROPPED OUT OF THE CAR TO FIND OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. THEY ADVISE ME THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE ENGINE TO BE DROPPED OUT OF THE CAR TO BE AND CHECKED OUT BEFORE THEY PAY FOR ANYTHING. IN OCTOBER 2015 THE MINI COOPER ENGINE FINALLY BROKE DOWN WHILE DRIVING I HAD TO PULLED IT OVER WHILE DRIVING UP ROUTE 280. THE WRECKER SERVICE TOOK THE MINI TO A MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC STATED THE TIMING CHAIN HAD BROKE AND THERE WAS MAJOR ENGINE DAMAGE AND THE REPAIR BILL WILL BE FROM 2K TO REBUILD THE ENGINE AND 8K FOR A NEW ONE AND I STILL OWN 11K TO BANK FOR THE CAR. THE CAR HAS APPROXIMATELY 106K MILES ON IT. I'VE HEARD OF A LOT OF COMPLAINTS WITH THOSE MINIS WITH THOSE SAME ISSUES HAPPENING ANYWHERE FROM 30K MILES TO OVER 100K MILES FROM 2007-2010 MODELS. NOTHING ELSE HAS BEEN SPENT ON THE CAR FOR REPAIR. I'M NOT WASTING ANYMORE MONEY ON THAT JUNK MINI COOPER. IT'S TO LATE FOR THE LEMON LAW TO BE APPLIED. CAN ANYTHING GET DONE SO THAT I CAN IMPLEMENT A LAWSUIT AND RECEIVE ANY MONEY FOR THAT FROM BMW OR AND THE DEALER OR IS IT A WASTE OF TIME? THANK YOU IN ADVANCE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MINI COOPER. WHEN SHIFTING INTO FIRST GEAR, THE VEHICLE EASILY SWITCHED INTO THE REVERSE POSITION. THE CONTACT WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 46,000.

ON 15 AUG 2015 I PURCHASED A 2008 MINI COOPER 2D HATC WITH 122,629 MILES FOR $6,325 WITH NO WARRANTY IN STANFORD, NC FROM KARAS AUTO SALES, INC. ON 27 OCT 2015 THE MINI COOPER BROKE DOWN WHILE DRIVING AND PULLED IT OVER BESIDE THE ROAD. THE WRECKER SERVICE TOOK THE MINI TO A MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC STATED THE TIMING CHAIN HAD BROKE AND THERE WAS MAJOR ENGINE DAMAGE AND THE REPAIR BILL WILL BE FROM 8K TO 10K IN REPAIR COST. MINI HAD APPROXIMATELY 125K MILES ON IT. I'VE HEARD OF A LOT OF COMPLAINTS WITH THOSE MINIS WITH THOSE SAME ISSUES HAPPENING ANYWHERE FROM 30K MILES TO OVER 100K MILES FROM 2007-2010 MODELS. NOTHING ELSE HAS BEEN SPENT ON THE CAR FOR REPAIR. I'M NOT WASTING ANYMORE MONEY ON THAT JUNK MINI COOPER. IT'S TO LATE FOR THE LEMON LAW TO BE APPLIED. CAN ANYTHING GET DONE SO THAT I CAN IMPLEMENT A LAWSUIT AND RECEIVE ANY MONEY FOR THAT FROM BMW OR AND THE DEALER OR IS IT A WASTE OF TIME? THANK YOU IN ADVANCE.

THE WEIGHT SENSOR IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT THAT DETERMINES WHETHER TO DEACTIVATE THE AIRBAG WHEN A CHILD IS SEATED, OR IF THE SEAT IS UNOCCUPIED, IS BROKEN. THIS HAS CAUSED THE FRONTAL AIRBAG TO BECOME PERMANENTLY DEACTIVATED AT ALL TIMES. THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL OF OTHER CARS FOR THIS ISSUE, BUT BMW REFUSES TO INCLUDE MY VEHICLE DESPITE IT BEING THE SAME YEAR AND EXPERIENCING THE IDENTICAL PROBLEM.

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY IN DICKSON, TN MY 2008 MINI COOPER LOST ALL POWER WITHOUT WARNING. I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. THIS WAS DURING AN ICE STORM. WE HAD TO WAIT HOURS ON THE SIDE OF A HIGHWAY WITH NO HEAT, AND VEHICLES STRUGGLING TO STAY ON THE ROAD, UNTIL A TOW TRUCK DRIVER FROM AAA WAS ABLE TO PICK US UP, SAYING HOW LUCKY WE WERE TO HAVE NOT BEEN HIT. WHEN BRINGING THE VEHICLE TO A CERTIFIED MINI DEALERSHIP I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS DUE TO LOW OIL LEVEL. THE INCIDENT OCCURED IN FEBRUARY, MY OIL WAS CHANGED ON DECEMBER. UPON REPAIR FROM MY INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, THE CAUSE OF FAILURE WAS DETERMINED TO BE A CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO A FAULTY TIMING CHAIN THAT COLLAPSED. I HAVE BEEN MADE AWARE THAT MINI COOPER IS AWARE OF THE TIMING CHAIN DEFECT, AND IN FACT SENT OUT A SERVICE BULLETIN BUT HAS DONE NOTHING TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. ON BEHALF OF CURRENT MINI DRIVERS AND POTENTIAL BUYERS I URGE YOU TO LOOK AT THIS ISSUE IN HOPES OF PREVENTING POTENTIAL INJURIES OR DEATHS.

MY AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON SO I SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT WITH MINI DEALER. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE OC3 MAT SENSOR NEEDED REPLACED. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THERE IS NO RECALL FOR IT AND MY CAR IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. THE COST TO REPLACE IS GOING TO BE $1,454.52. AFTER LOOKING ONLINE AT VARIOUS FORUMS, I HAVE FOUND HUNDREDS OF OTHERS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM AT RANDOM MILEAGES, ANYWHERE FROM 30,000 - 150,000 MILES. IF THIS SENSOR, WHICH IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE, KEEPS FAILING ON HUNDREDS OF VEHICLES, THIS PART SHOULD BE RECALLED AND FIXED AT THE MANUFACTURES EXPENSE. HOW CAN THEY EXPECT A CUSTOMER TO PAY OVER $1,400 TO REPLACE A SENSOR THAT IS JUST GOING TO FAIL AGAIN IN A SHORT TIME, NOT TO MENTION PUTTING LIVES AT RISK? THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW WITHOUT CORRECTION. PLEASE RECALL THIS PART.